Diabetes Control Matters
Common Questions About Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the
body does not make,
and/or does not properly use insulin. Insulin is the hormone
that helps the body use energy from sugar, starches
and other foods. Glucose is a form of sugar produced when
the body digests carbohydrates (sugar & starches). Glucose
is the body’s major fuel for the energy it needs. When insulin
is absent or ineffective, the blood sugar level increases.
High blood sugar levels can lead to both short and long-term
problems. There is no cure for diabetes.
Reference: The Expert Committee on the
Diagnosis and Classificationof Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes
Care. 1997, 20:1183-1197.
How do they know I have Diabetes?
Symptoms of diabetes mellitus
plus a casual plasma glucose concentration of >200 mg/dl.
Casual refers to any time of the day, unrelated to meals.
Symptoms of diabetes include:
- Polyuria (frequent urination)
- Polydipsia (extreme thirst)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Chronic Fatigue
- Frequent Infections
- Fasting
plasma glucose >126 mg/dl. Fasting is defined as 8
hours or more without caloric intake.
- This is the preferred test for diagnosis.
- Two-hour plasma glucose >200 mg/dl during performance of an
OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test).
- Seldom Used
Are there different kinds of Diabetes?
There are four distinct types of Diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes: Destruction of the insulin-producing
beta-cells in the pancreas that usually leads to an absolute
deficiency of insulin. Must be treated with insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes: Due primarily to the body not responding
normally to the insulin made by the pancreas. Eventually the
pancreas may become exhausted. May be treated with diet, exercise,
pills, insulin or some combination of these.
Gestational Diabetes (GDM): The form of diabetes that
first appears in pregnancy. May be treated with diet, exercise,
or insulin (there are currently no pills approved for use
in the U.S.) Must be treated aggressively to avoid birth defects.
Other Specific Types of Diabetes Mellitus: Includes
those kinds of diabetes with relatively well-known causes
(infection, drugs, genetic defects, etc.) May be helped by
treating their underlying cause.
Who should be tested for Diabetes?
Anyone aged 45 years and older; if normal results are obtained,
screening should be repeated every 3 years. Younger individuals,
or more frequent screening, in the following:
- Obese (Greater than 120% of desirable body weight)
- Individuals with a first degree relative with diabetes
- Members of high-risk ethnic populations (African Americans, Hispanics,
American Indians, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders)
- Females who have delivered a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
or have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- History of impared glucose tolerance
- HDL cholesterol < 35 mg/dl
- Triglycerides > 250 mg/dl
|
